A 1980 study conducted by DeCasper & Fifer entitled Of Human Bonding: Newborns Prefer Their Mothers' Voices concluded that newborn infants learned how to activate the sound of their mother's voice by non-nutritive sucking. This study established that newborn and young infants cognitively make the connection between their sucking parameters (e.g., the offset, onset, duration, frequency, and intensity) and the manipulation of a stimulus (such as a recorded voice). This study determined that newborns will deliberately use the motor skill of sucking to accomplish a task or manipulate a stimulus-producing device. The embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are adapted to utilize the cognitive ability of an infant to make a connection between the manipulation of the stimulus-producing device and their own sucking parameters.
It is a common practice to attempt to soothe crying infants or engage infants from birth (newborn) to approximately twelve months of age using movement (such as rocking or bouncing) or by other audio or visual stimulus. In general, apparatuses which attempt to soothe, engage, stimulate or teach infants are not controlled or actuated by the infant because it is not commonly recognized that infants possess motor skills and cognitive skills to learn to use a specific physical means to create a result that is not directly and physically related to their action. This type of activity is commonly referred to as a “means-ends” task.
It is desirable to create a device which is actuated or controlled by the infant, using the motor skill of sucking which is developmentally present in infants in the newborn to approximate twelve month age range.
The present invention is an apparatus which is actuated and controlled by the offset, onset, duration, frequency, and/or intensity of infant sucking. The apparatus is designed to utilize an infant's awareness of the correlation between his or her own sucking and the stimulus produced by the apparatus and thus allowing the infant to control the stimulus. For example, a stimulus is controlled by frequency and intensity and variations in the sucking.
As used herein, the term “sucking” or “sucking parameters” refers to the offset, onset, frequency, intensity, and/or duration by which an infant sucks on a nipple or other device adapted for sucking.
As used herein, the term “actuate” means to control the movement of an apparatus in response to an input detected by a sensor.
As used herein, the term “actuator” means a device, such as a motor, which creates movement or produces a visual or audio stimulus in response to infant sucking measured by a sensor.
As used herein, the term “nipple” means a device made of rubber, plastic, cloth or other material designed to evoke a sucking response in an infant as would be evoked if the infant were presented with a pacifier, infant feeding bottle or human nipple.
As used herein, the term “sensor” means a device capable of converting data about the offset, onset, duration, frequency and intensity of infant sucking to an electric signal.
As used herein, a “microprocessor” is an integrated computer circuit that is capable of receiving and processing digital electrical signals and contains the circuitry necessary to interpret and execute program instructions controlling movement of an actuator or apparatus.
As used herein, a “tube-shaped conduit” is a tube made of latex, plastic, rubber or other material capable of transmitting air pressure to an electrical sensor or pressure transducer. A tube shaped conduit may also be a wire or a cord.
As used herein “infant stimulation output” means an output which is sensed or felt by an infant such as movement, visual stimulus or auditory stimulus.
As used herein the term “infant support structure” means any object capable of holding, securing or supporting an infant such as an infant seat, car seat, carrier, swing, stroller, bassinette, harness, or other device in which an infant may be supported or placed
As used herein the term “non-nutritive sucking” means sucking which does not result in nourishment to an infant.
As used herein the term “infant support frame axis” means a component attached to an infant device (such as an infant seat) which enables the device to pivot, rock, rotate or vibrate.
As used herein the term “control box” means a box-shaped or partially box-shaped structure which may contain or partially contain electrical components such as a sensor, microprocessor or power supply components.